Safety ski binding

ABSTRACT

A safety ski binding primarily for holding the toe portion of the sole of a ski boot. It is the principal feature of this binding that its sole holder is adapted to be shifted laterally by the boot from its normal control position for a considerably greater distance before it is released and thereby releases the boot than the sole holders of ski bindings of this general type which were designed prior to the invention.

United States Patent 11 1 Giitz [54] SAFETY SKI BINDING 22 Filed: Oct. 8, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 79,222

LS2] EJ S. I QM/11.35 T [5T] Int. Cl ""JJILXGSTQ/Wfi [58] Field of Search ..280/1l.35 T

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,194,574 7/1965 Beyl ..280/l1.35 T

[10 3,709,510 1 51 Jan. 9,- 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,372,663 8/1964 Prance ..280/1 [.35 T

Primary Examiner -Benja min Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney-Craig & Antonelli 57 ABSTRACT 39 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 91973 3,709,510

sum 1 or 6 INVENTOR HANS GOTZ BY Craig, AntoneuL, Stewart 9 ATTORNEYS Fig.4 27 26 Fig.5

PATENTEUJAH 9 I973 SHEET 0F 6 I Fig. 8

PAIENTEDJM 9191s 3.709.510

SHEET '5 OF 6 Fig.72

SAFETY SKI BINDING The present invention relates to a safety ski binding which comprises a housing which is pivotable about a journal, pin or the like projecting vertically from a base fixture which is secured to the ski, a sole holder which is mounted on the housing so as to be capable of swinging to a limited extent in the lateral direction relative to the housing, and releasable spring-loaded locking means for holding the housing in a central position relative to the base fixture or to an element which is secured to the latter and for holding the sole holder in a central position relative to the housing.

The known ski bindings of this type as disclosed, for example, by the German pat. No. l.20l,737, which are intended to be released and to release the foot of the skier when the latter is subjected to torsional stresses beyond a predetermined limit, hold the ski boot on the ski by means of a toe or sole holder and a springtightened heel holder which causes the ski boot to be compressed in its longitudinal direction. If the foot of the skier is subjected to torsion, the boot tends to press the sole holder toward one side. The housing will thereby be pivoted accordingly and, since at the same time the bearing of the sole holder is also pivoted, this bearing will be shifted forwardly toward one side, partly also by the release of the compression of the boot, so that the sole holder will be released and thereby release the boot. The occurrence of stresses due to small impacts may also cause an unintentional release of the boot by the sole holder. A release of such a ski binding will already occur when the boot which is held by the binding is pivoted about a rear axis only for a relatively small angle relative to the ski binding. These and all other known ski bindings which permit a certain pivoting movement of the ski boot if a smaller torsional force occurs are designed so that at the beginning of the pivoting movement the boot will at first be compressed and will then be shifted forwardly. The angle of traverse of the boot at which a release of any of these ski bindings will occur is relatively small and only amounts, for example, to 1- 2 to 2*. 4. The angular range within which such a ski binding which is acted upon by torsion may return to its normal position without being released is therefore relatively small, and due to their construction these known ski bindings release a ski boot considerably sooner than desirable.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a safety ski binding which is designed so that its release will be effected at an angle of traverse of the ski boot which is considerably larger than the angle of traverse at which a release occurred from previous bindings, for example, at an angle which may now amount to i to i 30". Another object of the invention is to provide a safety ski binding in which the ski boot during its movementresulting in its release from the binding will not be affected by compressive forces in addition to the initial tension to which it is subjected. It is a further object of the invention to provide a ski binding which permits the force which holds a boot on the ski in the skiing position and also the force which is required for releasing the boot from the ski not only to be variable but to be adjustable so as to have approximately the same value. In addition, the ski binding according to the invention is to be designed sons to permit its elements after a releasing operation to be moved back to their original positions practically without any effort, for example, by means of a finger or a ski stick.

According to the invention, these objects are attained by providing two or more substantially parallel arms each of which pivotably connects the sole holder to the housing of the ski binding or at least two arms which pivotably connect a housing of the ski binding which is secured to or integral with the sole holder to a base fixture by means of which the binding is mounted on the ski, by providing locking means which act upon the arms and are operatively associated with the locking means which tend to prevent the housing from turning about a vertical axis, and by providing the distance between the pivot axes of the sole-holder arms on the sole holder to be slightly smaller then the distance between the pivot axes of these arms at the opposite ends of these arms, that is, on the housing.

By means of these features, the following advantageous results are attained:

a. The maximum angle of traverse within which the boot may return to its normal central position without being released from the ski binding is considerably larger than the angle within which such a return was possible in the ski bindings prior to this invention;

b. Until its release from the binding, the ski boot cannot move forwardly, which improves the control of the ski by the skier;

c. Impacts up to a medium strength cannot cause the ski binding to be released;

d. There will be no additional compression of the boot;

e. Until its release, a ski boot which is acted upon by the new ski binding may pivot about the part of engagement of the boot upon the heel support;

f. Subsequent to the moment of the release of the boot from the ski binding, this binding is no longer affected by any forces which might tend to return it to its original position and it is therefore possible to return the new binding when released to its original position without any effort.

g. As soon as the ski binding is released, it may turn freely about an angle of 360.

A ski binding according to the invention may be made of a relatively simple construction by providing each of the sole-holder arms with a nose which projects in the direction toward the nose of the other arm,- and by providing between these noses an arresting device which, when the sole holder is in its normal central position, presses under spring action against both of these noses and thereby holds the sole-holder arms and thus also the sole holder in this normal position, and which, when the sole holder swings toward one or the other side, presses against one of these noses, and tends to swing the arms back to the normal position. This arresting device is operatively associated with the locking 5 device for holding the housing in its normal central position and effects the release or withdrawal of this locking device form its locking engagement with the journal or pin on which the housing is mounted when the sole holder reaches the predetermined limit of its lateral movement in one or the other direction. Instead of such noses, the sole-holder arms may, however, also be provided at their ends facing the housing with flat surfaces which engage upon at least one flat surface which is provided on the journal which is secured to the base fixture. The housing is in this case designed so as to be slidable for a short distance in its longitudinal direction relative to the journal. A ski binding of this design is also of a relatively simple construction. Its only disadvantage might be that for reducing the wear upon this binding, it is necessary to increase the extent of the movement of the surfaces of the arms which engage upon the journal by making the journal of a relatively large diameter. This may be avoided, however, by providing a larger flat plate which is interposed between the arms and the flat surface of the housing and is guided on and movable relative the housing. The journal itself may therefore be made of a relatively small diameter.

If the ski binding according to the invention may be of a more complicated construction than the binding as previously described, it may be designed so as to allow additional movements of its elements relative to each other. Thus, for example, it may be provided with two pairs of arms the ends of which are pivotably connected to the sole holder as well as to the housing by universal joints. The ends of the arms facing the housing are additionally provided with cam surfaces which are inclined relative to the planes of the arms and engage with corresponding surfaces which are provided in recesses in a plate which is adjustable to different heights in a direction substantially parallel the journal which by means of the base fixture is secured to the ski. This ski binding has not only the advantage that the sole holder may be adjusted to the particular thickness of the sole of the boot, but that it will also release if the sole holder is acted upon in various directions by forces which exceed a predetermined limit.

For adjusting the sole holder in accordance with the particular thickness of the boot sole, it is also possible to adjust the housing to different heights relative to the ski; for example, by providing a bushing which may be turned by screw threads relative to the journal which is secured to the ski by the base fixture. There are various other possibilities of adjusting the sole holder relative to the thickness of the sole, some of which will be later described in detail.

Another advantageous feature of the invention consists in providing the journal on which the housing is pivotable when released with at least one annular groove and in providing a suitable locking member which normally engages into this groove so as to prevent the arms and the housing from pivoting. If the journal is provided with several annular grooves, these grooves may also serve for adjusting the housing to different heights from the ski. in addition, different parts of each of the end surfaces of such an annular groove which limit the groove in the axial direction of the journal may be spaced at different distances from the base fixture so that at the beginning of the pivoting movement of the housing which is caused by the ski boot the sole holder will be lifted which has the result that the friction between the binding and the boot and also between the boot and the ski will be reduced.

The locking member which normally holds the housing in its central position is preferably provided in the form of a locking pin or the like which engages into a socket bore in the journal which is secured by the base fixture to the ski. This socket bore is preferably proto vary the size of the angle to which the rm carrying.

the sole holder are pivotable and the extent to which the sole holder may be shifted in lateral directions before the release of the ski binding will occur.

According to another embodiment of the invention it is also possible to adjust the housing and thus also the sole holder to different heights from the ski by connecting the housing to the base fixture by means of additional arms which are pivotable within a plane extending vertically to the base fixture and to the upper surface of the ski to which this fixture is secured. The pivotability of at least one of these arms in the upward direction is limited by suitable adjustable means, for example, by a setscrew which is mounted in an upwardly projecting part of the base fixture. If the ski binding is provided with such arms which permit the housing to be raised and lowered, it is advisable to provide between one of these arms and the housing a locking member which normally prevents the housing from pivoting about the journal which is connected to the base fixture. Such a locking member may be made of a very simple and inexpensive construction even if it is designed so as to be adjustable. This locking member is adapted to lock the housing relative to the base fixture entirely independently of the lateral shifting movements of the sole holder and it permits the housing to pivot only when the sole holder is lifted by the ski boot, for example, due to the forces which occur when the skier falls over toward the rear. The ski binding must therefore be provided with means which permit the sole holder to be shifted laterally to, a certain extent relative to the housing if it is only acted upon by forces which extent within a plane parallel to the plane of the ski.

Another embodiment of the invention provides that the pivots of the ends of the sole holder arms facing the housing are mounted in a bifurcated extension of a rod which is slidably guided within the housing and acted upon by a spring. These ends of the arms are provided with surfaces which engage with surfaces which are rigidly secured to the housing. Furthermore, this binding is provided with a ball which is located in an aperture in the housing and partly engages into a recess in a circular disk which is connected to the base fixture and has a function corresponding to that of the journal of the embodiments of the ski binding as previously described. This embodiment of the invention has the advantage that the housing and the sole-holder arms may be made of aluminum since at those points where a friction occurs, this friction will hardly cause any wear if the surfaces which are rigidly connected to the housing are provided on a steel part.

Another feature of the invention consists in mounting the pivots on the ends of the sole-holder arms facing the housing in a bifurcated member which is slidably guided in the housing and provided with a supporting surface for both arms and with apertures in the arms of the bifurcated member into which an intermediate lever engages which is pivotably mounted on a horizontally slidable member which is acted upon by a spring. In a ski binding of this construction the housing is pivotably mounted on additional arms which are movable within a plane extending vertically to the plane of the base fixture and the upper surface of the ski. One of these additional arms is designed so as to serve as a locking member for normally preventing the housing from pivoting about the journal on the base fixture and for also normally locking the intermediate lever. The housing of this ski binding may be lifted and lowered and also turned about the vertical axis of the journal, but not until the sole holder has been shifted laterally for a predetermined distance and forces then occur which tend to lift the sole holder or if the last-mentioned forces first occur which tend to lift the sole holder and thereafter forces occur which tend to shift the sole holder laterally within a plane parallel to the surface of the ski. In order to permit the ski binding to be released at the occurence of forces of different strengths, it is advisable to provide the slidable member with adjustable stops for limiting the extent of the pivoting movements of the intermediate lever.

The objects of the present invention may, however, be attained also by means of a ski binding of a different construction in which some of the parts of the binding as first mentioned above are omitted. In this case it is only necessary to provide the ski binding with a housing which is pivotably relative to the base fixture and provided with a sole holder and with releasable locking means for normally holding these parts in central positions. The housing and the sole holder are in this case rigidly secured to or integral with each other so as to form a one-piece unit which is pivotable relative to the base fixture, and this unit is pivotably connected to the base fixture by two groups of arms which are operatively associated with each other. The arms of the first group are pivotable within a plane extending parallel to the base fixture and the upper surface of the ski, while the arms of the second group are pivotable within a plane extending at a right angle to the first-mentioned plane. The arms of the first group are normally adapted to be locked by an arm of the second group which is pivotably mounted on the one-piece unit, while the other arm of the second group is normally adapted to be locked by a spring-loaded pawl or the like which is likewise pivotably mounted on the one-piece unit. The arms of the first group are supported on the base fixture and are pivotable and slidable relative thereto. This ski binding according to the invention has the advantage that all movable parts thereof are enclosed within the housing and thus protected from the entry of snow. Even though the housing and the sole holder of this ski binding form a single element, the general mode of operation of this binding is the same as that of the bindings as previously described. In the event that the part of the sole holder which engages upon the upper surface of the rim of the toe portion of the boot sole is to be made adjustable to different heights, this part may be provided as a separate element which is adjustably connected to the sole-holder part of the one-piece unit.

Since the sole holder arms of the different ski bindings as previously described have the same size and shape, even though they are arranged in different manners, each of these sole holders will release the ski boot when the toe portion of the latter is pivoted equally toward one side or the other. If therefore the ski boot pivots, for example, inwardly relative to the ski binding, the binding will not release the boot unless an equal force occurs which would release the boot when pivoting outwardly. However, since a foot is capable of pivoting about its heel without injury in the outward direction for a larger angle than inwardly, it is advisable to design all of the ski bindings according to the invention accordingly, for example, by making one of the arms which is movable within a plane parallel to the base fixture and the upper surface of the ski so as to have a different effective length than the other arm.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description thereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal section which is taken along the line Il II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a horizontal section of a part of a modification of the ski binding as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section of a part of the ski binding according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a horizontal section of a part of the ski binding as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a vertical section of a modification of the ski binding as shown in FIG. 4 employing two pairs of arms;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the ski binding as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 7-A is a view similar to FIG. 7, which includes an amplification of certain dimensions for schemati cally illustrating the operation of the ski binding;

FIG. 7-B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of cam plate 63.

FIG. 8 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a horizontal section which is taken along the line IX IX of FIG. 8 and an elevation of the sole-holder arms;

FIG. 10 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to another modification of the invention;

FIG. 11 shows a cross section which is taken along the line XI XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to a further modification of the invention;

FIG. 13 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to another modification of the invention;

FIG. 14 shows a vertical section of a ski binding according to still another modification of the invention; while FIG. 15 shows a top view of the ski binding as shown in FIG. 14.

Referring to the drawings, the safety ski binding according to the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a base fixture 1 which is adapted to be secured to a ski and carries a journal 2, the lower part of which is provided with a screw thread 3 and screwed into the base 1 so as to permit the journal to be adjusted in its axial direction relative to the base 1 for raising or lowering the binding relative to the ski by one or more complete turns of the journal 2. For locking the journal 2 in its adjusted position, its lower threaded part is provided at least on one side with a flat surface 4 across which a screw 5 extends which is removably screwed into the base 1 and prevents the journal 2 from turning.

The upper part of journal 2 is provided with an annular groove 6 and with a radial blind bore 7 in the bottom of this groove. A housing 8 is provided with a vertical recess in its lower side which serves as a bushing for rotatably mounting the housing on the upper part of journal 2. Housing 8 further carries two arms 9 and 10 which are pivotably mounted therein on two pivot pins 1 1 and 12 which extend vertically to the lower surface of the base 1. The other ends of arms 9 and 10 which project from the housing 8 are pivotably connected to a sole holder by pivot pins 13 and 14 which extend parallel to the pins 11 and 12. The parts of the arms 9 and 10 adjacent to pivot pins 11 and 12 are provided on their inner sides facing each other with projections 16 and 17 which are guided by the side walls of the annular groove 6 in journal 2 and the surfaces 18 and 19, both of which engage upon a conical end surface 20 of a round nut 21 when the sole holder 15 is in its normal central position, while only one of them presses against this conical surface 20 when the arms are pivoted out of this central position. Nut 21 is secured upon a locking pin which forms a thinner extension of a rod 22 which is slidable in the axial direction within the housing 8. Rod 22 is surrounded by a compression spring 23 one end of which presses against nut 21 and the other end against a socket-like adjustable screw 24 which is screwed into the open end of housing 8 and also serves as a bushing within which rod 22 is slidable. The surfaces of the projections 16 and 17 on the other side of the pressure surfaces 18 and 19 have such a curvature that during the pivoting movements of the arms 9 and 10 in one or the other direction these curved surfaces are in engagement with the cylindrical bottom of the annular groove 6.

While in FIG. 1 the sole holder 15 is illustrated in its central position in which the end of the locking pin 25 on rod 22 engages into the blind bore 7 in journal 2 and thereby locks the housing 8 to the journal 2, FIG. 2 shows the sole holder 15 swung toward one side to the position in which by the pressure of the surface 19 of the arm 10 upon the conical end of nut 21 the locking pin 25 is retracted from the radial bore 7 in journal 2 so that, if the sole holder is then swung further in the same direction, the housing 8 may pivot freely around the journal 2 and the ski binding is fully released. In the particular position as illustrated in FIG. 2, the angle of traverse a of the sole holder amounts to a multiple of the angle to which the sole holder of any of the known ski bindings was movable before the binding was released.

The arms 9 and 10 are pivotably connected in such positions to the housing 8 and to the sole holder 15 that the distance between the axes of the pivot pins 13 and 14 on the sole holder is shorter than the distance between the axes of the other pivot pins 11 and 12 on the housing 8. The smaller distance between'the pivot pins 13 and 14 must, of course, be still large enough so that the ski boot which is held by the sole holder 15 will be pivotable to all pivoted positions of the latter about the surface of the heel holder or of an automatically releasable heel support facing the heel part of the ski boot.

Since the housing 8 is adjustable to different heights from the ski, the sole holder 15 may be adjusted without difficulty so as to be in accordance with the particular thickness of the sole of a ski boot and there is no possibility that such a sole might be damaged even during the releasing operation since the sole holder practically does not shift relative to the sole until it is finally released from the latter.

The pressure surfaces 18 and 19 do not need to be plane surfaces but they may have a curved shape so that the holding force of the sole holder 15 upon the ski boot will remain constant during the lateral movements of the sole holder. This permits the ski binding to be adjusted so that the sole holder 15 will not start to shift laterally from its central position until a certain predetermined force, for example, of 25 kp, occurs and that it will not release until a force of, for example, 30 kp occurs. The ski boot will thus be very securely held to the ski but will still be able to pivot when forces of a predetermined value occur.

If the parts of the ski binding are in their normal position and forces then occur which shift the sole holder in one or the other direction, the surface 18 or 19 of one or the other arm 9 or 10 will press against the conical surface 20 of the nut 21 and will thereby shift the rod 22 back against the action of spring 23 until the angle of traverse a of the sole holder has reached such a size that the housing 8 will be able to pivot freely about the journal 2 because the locking pin 25 on rod 22 no longer engages into the bore 7 in journal 2. The end surface of this locking pin 25 then abuts against the cylindrical surface forming the bottom of the annular groove 6 so that the arms 9 and 10 are freely pivotable and may also be easily pivoted back together with the sole holder 15 to the central position in which the locking pin 25 will again engage into the bore 7. If rod 22 is turned relative to nut 21, for example, in such a manner that the locking pin 25 will not engage into the bore 7 as deeply as shown in FIG. 1, the angle of traverse a at which the ski binding will be released will be smaller than that shown in FIG. 2. This angle may therefore be very accurately adjusted in a very simple manner to different sizes.

If the effective length of one of the surfaces 18 or 19 is reduced relative to that of the other surface, the release of the ski binding may be efiected at the occurrence of a lower force when the sole holder 15 is pivoted in one direction, for example, toward the inner side of the ski, than when the sole holder is pivoted in the opposite direction, for example, toward the outer side of the ski. Of course, by turning the socket screw 24, it is also possible to vary the tension of spring 23 and thus to increase or decrease the resistance of the sole holder against its movements in lateral directions.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modification of the ski binding according to FIGS. 1 and 2 which differs from the latter merely by the fact that the locking pin 25 on rod 22 forms an exchangeable insert.

The ski binding according to the second embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 comprises a journal 26 which is secured to a base fixture, not shown, and a housing 27 which is pivotable relative to this journal. Journal 26 is likewise provided with an annular groove 28 and further with two parallel flat surfaces 29 and 30. Surface 29 engages upon an end plate 3| which is connected to one end of a rod 22 and has the same purpose as the locking pin 25 or 25' on rod 22 in FIGS. 1 and 2 or FIG. 3, respectively. A pair ofarms 34 and 35 are pivotably mounted at one end within the housing 27 on pivot pins 32 and 33 and are pivotably connected at the other end by pivot pins 36 and 37 to a sole holder 38. Each of these arms 34 and 35 has a surface 39 or 40, respectively, which engages upon the flat surface of journal 26 either directly or indirectly via a plate 41 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The part of housing 27 which surrounds the journal 26 is provided with an elongated aperture 42 which permits the housing to shift longitudinally relative to journal 26. If a force occurs which shifts the sole holder 38 from its central position toward one side or the other, the arms 34 and will be pivoted and housing 27 will be shifted longitudinally against the action of spring 23 for a distance which depends upon the size of the angle to which the arms 34 and 35 are pivoted. When the end plate disengages from the flat surface 29 and thus permits the housing 27 to turn about the journal 26, end plate 31 engages upon and is slidable around the cylindrical part of the surface of the bottom of the annular groove 28. Housing 27 may then pivot freely about the journal 26 and the ski binding is fully released.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the invention which, although more complicated than the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 5, is very suitable for its particular purpose. In this case, a housing 43 and a sole holder 44 are connected to each other by two pairs of arms 45 and 46. In the top view according to FIG. 7, only the two arms 47 and 48 of the pair 45 are visible. The two ends of each arm of these two pairs of arms are pivotably connected by universal joints 49 and 50 or 51 and 52, respectively, to the housing 43 and to the sole holder 44. The journal 54 which is secured to a base fixture 53 is again provided with an annular groove 55 upon the bottom of which a jaw 56 engages the contact surface of which is curved'in accordance with the curvature of this bottom. This jaw. 56 is secured to a rod 57 and is acted upon by one end of a spring 58 the other end of which is supported on a socket screw 59. The aperture 60 in housing 43 through which the journal 54 extends is also in this case of an oblong shape in order to permit the housing 43 to shift longitudinally relative to the journal.

The ends of all of the arms of the two pairs of arms 45 and 46 facing the housing 43 are provided with projections forming inclined cam surfaces 61 or 62, respectively, which engage with corresponding cam surfaces in recesses which are provided in a plate 63 which is slidable in a vertical direction within the housing 43, as seen in FIG. 6, and is adjustable to different heights from the ski by means of a pair of screws 64 and 65.

The ski binding as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 7-A and 7-B permits the sole holder 44 to swing not only within a plane parallel to the plane of the bottom of the base 53, but also to move within a plane extending vertically thereto and also in other directions if it is acted upon by corresponding forces. This is an advantage of considerable importance. Since the housing 43 is further adapted to be locked against rotation relative to the journal 54 by a projection forming a locking pin 66, the housing can also be turned about the journal 54 when the sole holder 44 has been shifted laterally sufficiently so that the binding will be released. The cam surfaces 61 and 62 of all arms 45 and 46 should, of course, be designed so that, when the sole holder is shifted laterally within a plane parallel to the plane of the bottom of base 53, the housing 43 will be shifted longitudinally in the same manner as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. When the sole holder reaches the end of its lateral movements in one or the other direction, the locking pin 66 will be withdrawn from the journal 54 which will permit the housing 43 to pivot freely about the journal so that the binding is then fully released. After the sole holder 44 disengages from the boot sole, it requires no force to return it to its normal central position.

FIG. 7-A schematically illustrates the operation of the ski binding of FIGS. 6 and 7. Many of the reference numerals have been deleted from this FIG. 7-A and certain dimensions have been amplified to aid in this illustration. Cam plate 63 and journal 54 are essentially fixed in position on the ski. Since universal joints 49 are fixed in position in housing 43, housing 43 and pivot centers A of joints 49 are constrained to move together. Locking pin 66 is also fixed in housing 43 for constraining movement of housing 43 along axis XX until housing 43 is moved sufficiently far to the right to disengage locking pin 66 from journal 54, which disengagement will permit rotation of the housing 43 with respect to journal 54 and consequent release of the sole holder 44 from the ski boot. It can be clearly seen from FIG. 7-A, with the amplified illustration of the distance between joint pivot centers A and cam surfaces 61, that sideways movement of sole holder 44 (in a direction perpendicular to axis XX) will result in a pivoting of guide arms 47 and 48 from axes G-G to axes G'-G due to fixed pivot connections B of universal joints at the sole holder and a consequent movement of pivot centers A to position A, a distance of A X. Since the pivot centers A are fixed in the housing 43, the housing 43 likewise moves to the right against the force of the spring. B indicates the position corresponding to A. The slotted connection between the housing 43 and journal 54 permits this axial movement of housing 43. When the sideways movement of sole holder 44 is great enough that A X corresponds to disengagement of locking pin 66, the housing 43 is no longer constrained to move along axis XX, and consequently is rotated for release of the device. It is understood that movement of the sole holder 44 in the vertical plane would result in a corresponding axial movement of housing 43 in the direction of the sole holder due to the interengagement of cam surfaces 61 and the sets of arms 45 and 46. FIG. 7-B shown in enlarged cross-sectional view of the cam plate 63 and three-dimensioned camming surfaces.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another modification of the invention in which the housing 67 is likewise adjustable to different heights relative to the base 68. The means for effecting such adjustments consist in this case of a pair of arms 69 and 70 which are pivotably connected at one end by pins 71 and 72 to the base 68 and at the other end by pins 73 and 74 to a circular bearing plate 76 which engages into a corresponding recess in the lower side of housing 67 and is held therein by a spring ring 75 so that the housing is rotatable about plate 76.

This plate 76 is provided with a recess 77 in its upper surface into which a part of a locking ball 78 projects which is held within a bore in the housing. Housing 67 is connected to a sole holder 79 by arms 80 and. 81 in a similar manner as previously repeatedly described. The ends of arms 80 and 81 facing the housing 67 are pivotably mounted in a bifurcated extension 82 of a rod 84 which is surrounded by a compression spring 83, one end of which acts upon the bifurcated extension 82 and the other end upon a socket screw 85. If the sole holder 79 swings, for example, to the position as shown in FIG. 9, the bifurcated extension 82 of rod 84 together with the latter will be shifted relative to the housing 67 since the socket screw 85 is slidable within the housing and therefore not secured to the latter as in the embodiments of the invention as previously described. The lower side of rod 84 and its bifurcated extension 82 is provided with a substantially hemispherical recess 86 which, when the sole-holder arms 80 and 81 are pivoted sufficiently, reaches a position directly above the locking ball 78 so that the latter will then slide out of its locked position in recess 77 of bearing plate 76 and slide into the recess 86 so that the housing 67 can then turn freely about the bearing plate 76.

If the position of housing 67 is to be changed in the vertical direction so as to adjust the sole holder 79 to a height in accordance with the particular thickness of the sole of the ski boot, it is merely necessary to turn a screw 87 which is screwed into a part of the base 68 and acts directly upon the arm 69.

FIGS. and 11 illustrate a further ski binding according to the invention which likewise permits the housing 101 to be adjusted in the vertical direction. The base 88 carries a journal 89 the threaded upper part of which has a threaded bushing 90 screwed thereon which is provided like the journals as previously described with an annular groove 91 and is operatively associated with locking means which are also similar to the locking means as previously described. This bushing 90 is provided with a slot 92 which extends in the axial direction of the bushing and into which a locking pin 93 is adapted to engage which is acted upon by a spring 94. When this locking pin 93 engages into the slot 92, bushing 90 is locked so as to be nonrotatable relative to the journal 89. If, however, the locking pin is pushed out of the slot 92 against the action of spring 94, bushing 90 may be turned so as to be screwed upwardly or downwardly for one or more turns as may be required by the thickness of the sole of the boot.

Bushing 90 is provided at one side with two surfaces 95 and 96 which are inclined at an obtuse angle to each other and fully engage with similarly inclined surfaces on the arms 97 and 98 when the sole holder 99 is in its central position as shown in FIG. 11. If the sole holder is shifted toward one side or the other, the inclined surface of one of the arms presses against one of the surfaces 95 or 96 and thereby shifts the housing 101 in its longitudinal direction against the action of spring 102, for which purpose the housing is again provided with an oblong recess 100. On its lower side housing 101 carries a plate 104 which has a locking projection 103 which engages into an aperture in the wall of bushing 90 when the sole holder 99 is in its central position but disengages from the bushing when the sole holder is shifted laterally for its maximum distance so that the housing 101 can then turn freely about the bushing 90. The effect which is thus attained is therefore the same as that of the embodiments of the invention as previously described.

FIG. 12 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention in which the housing, the arms, and the sole holder are similar to those of the embodiment according to FIGS. 10 and 11 and only the means for adjusting the housing 101 in its vertical direction and the means for normally locking the housing against rotation are of a different design. The base 105 carries in this case two additional arms 106 and 107 which are pivotable near one end on pivot pins 108 and 109, while their other ends are pivotably connected by pivot pins 1 10 and 1 1 l to the enlarged lower end of a journal 112. Each of the arms 106 and 107 is provided with a projection 113 or 114, respectively. By turning a screw 115 in the base 105, arm 106 will be pivoted about pin 108 so that housing 101 will be shifted in the vertical direction. The other arm 107 is provided in its outer side with a groove 116 into which a screw 117 engages which is screwed into a downwardly projecting part of housing 101. If the sole holder 99 is shifted in a direction vertical to the plane of FIG. 12, the arms 97 and 98 will shift the housing 101 in its longitudinal direction until the screw 117 disengages from the groove 116 so that the ski binding will then be in the released position in which the housing 101 can pivot freely about the journal 112 and may then also be tilted forwardly by means of the arms 106 and 107.

FIG. 13 shows another ski binding according to the invention which is similar to that as shown in FIG. 12. By means of a ball bearing 119, a plate 120 is rotatably mounted on a base 118 and carries pivot pins 121 and 122 on which two arms 123 and 124 are pivotably mounted which engage into a slot in the lower part of the housing 125 and are also pivotably connected by pivot pins 126 and 127 to the housing 125. This housing 125 may also be adjusted in a vertical direction by means of a screw 128 which is screwed into a part of the base 118 and acts upon the arm 123. Arm 124 is provided with a projection 129 which engages into a slot in the base 118 when housing 125 is in its normal central position and disengages from this slot when the housing is tilted forwardly so that the housing may then also carry out a rotary movement together with plate 120. Aside from the arms 130 which correspond to the arms 80 and 81 according to FIGS. 8 and 9 and only one of which is visible in FIG. 13, the housing 125 further contains and supports a rod 131 and an intermediate lever 132. Rod 131 is acted upon by a spring 133 and carries a socket screw 134 and is slidable together with the latter within the housing 125, while the intermediate lever 132 projects through an aperture 136 which is provided in rod 131 and is pivotable in the housing about a pivot pin 135. If the sole holder 137 which is pivotably connected to the arms 130 is moved laterally, the bifurcated member 138 which has a function similar to that of the bifurcated extension 82 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 will be shifted longitudinally and will thereby pivot the intermediate lever 132 about its pivot pin until it abuts against an adjustable stop screw 139. If the sole holder 137 is shifted further in the same lateral direction, rod 131 will be shifted longitudinally until an inclined surface 140 on the intermediate lever 132 which up to this time was in engagement with a corresponding inclined surface of the arm 124 disengages from the latter so that the housing 125 may then pivot forwardly and upwardly on both arms 123 and 124 and may then turn freely relative to the base 118. If therefore any force of a predetermined strength acts in any direction upon this ski binding, this binding will be released.

FIGS. 14 and finally illustrate a ski binding according to the invention in which the housing and the sole holder or at least the main part of the latter are integrally connected to each other. A part 142 of the sole holder may be either rigidly secured to the housing 141 or, as shown in these drawings, it may be connected thereto so as to be adjustable to different heights in accordance with the thickness of the soles of different boots. In the latter case, the shank of a screw 143 may be slidable within a slot in the housing 141 so that the sole-holding part 142 may be shifted to and locked in the desired position by the screw 143. Housing 141 is rotatable relative to the base 144 in which for this purpose a plate 146 is rotatably mounted within a ball bearing 145. Two arms 147 and 148 which permit the one-piece unit consisting of the housing 141 and the main sole holder to swing laterally rest slidably on this plate 146 and are pivotable to the desired extent within recesses 149 and 150 by being connected at one end by pivot pins 151 and 152 to a plate 153 which is located above the arms 147 and 148, while their other ends are connected by pivot pins 154 and 155 to plate 146. Plate 153 engages upon projections 156 and 157 which are secured to or integral with plate 146. The projection 156 is provided with two inclined surfaces 158 and 159 upon which corresponding inclined surfaces on the arms 147 and 148 engage. On lugs projecting from the upper side of plate 153, two further arms 160 and 161 are pivotably mounted which together with the arms 147 and 148 form two groups of arms which are operatively associated with each other. These arms 160 and 161 are pivotable within a plane which extends at a right angle to the plane within which the two arms 147 and 148 are pivotable. Arm 160 is pivotable about a pin 162 on and relative to plate 153 and about a pin 163 on the housing 141 and arm 161 is likewise pivotable on plate 153 about a pin 164 and about a pin 165 on the housing 141.

Arm 160 is further provided with a locking projection 166 which is adapted to engage into a slot 167 in an upwardly projecting part of the base 144 so that the housing 141 will be prevented from turning as long as the locking projection 166 remains within the slot 167. The other arm 161 is acted upon by spring-loaded locking means consisting of a locking pawl 168 and a rod 169 which is slidable in its axial direction within the housing 141 under the action of a spring and is provided with an end plate 170 which presses against the pawl 168. The two arms 147 and 148 which engage upon the inclined surfaces 158 and 159 on the projection 156 of plate 146 are slidable relative to this plate.

Housing 141 further carries a pin 171 the lower conical end of which engages between the two arms 147 and 148 which are provided with corresponding inclined surfaces. If via the sole-holder part 142 a force which exceeds a predetermined value is exerted in any direction upon the housing 141, this housing will be able to carry out pivoting movements. Thus, for example, if the skier falls over backwards and the sole-holder part 142 is thereby pressed upwardly, the housing 141 will also move in this direction because of the provision of the arms 160 and 161. Pin 171 then disengages from the two arms 147 and 148 so that the housing 141 can also turn on the ball bearing about a vertical axis relative to the base 144 and all four arms are released and are freely movable. That the housing 141 can move away from the base 144 is due to the fact that at the occurrence of a sufficiently strong force caused by a backward fall of the skier the housing will be moved upwardly and the arm 161 will then pivot the pawl 168 against the action of the spring which surrounds the rod 169. The inclined surface of pawl 168 will then engage upon the cylindrical surface of arm 161 so that the pawl can no longer exert any pressure upon the arm 161 which might affect the latter. Arm 161 will remain in this released position until the housing 141 is again pressed down, whereby arm 161 will be pivoted back to its original position, as shown in FIG. 14, in which it will again be locked by the pawl 168.

If a force acts upon the sole-holder part 142 which tends to turn the housing about an axis extending vertically to the base 144, pin 171 will act upon one of the two arms 147 or 148. Since these two arms 147 and 148 are pivotably connected at one end to plate 146 and at the other end to plate 153, and since the surfaces of these arms facing the conical end of pin 171 are inclined accordingly, pin 171 will be lifted due to the cam action of these surfaces and will thereby lift the housing 141 so that its distance from the base 144 will be increased. If the lower end of pin 171 then slides upon the upper side of one of the arms 147 or 148, while in the meantime due to the forces which have been transmitted by the boot through the sole holder the pawl 168 is also moved to a position in which it is relieved of any pressure and the arms 147 and 148 are then also freely movable, the housing unit 141 may be returned without any effort from its released pivoted position back to its normal position.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for example, while this invention has been described particularly with reference to the toe-holding parts of a ski binding, it may also be similarly employed for the heel-holding parts of a ski binding. Moreover, the features of one of the embodiments of the invention as previously described may also be combined with the features of one or more of the other embodiments.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A tip-or heel holding device for use in a safety ski binding arrangement; said device comprising: a mounting plate for attaching the device to an upper surface of a ski, a vertical journal disposed on the mounting plate, a housing mounted for rotational movement about a vertical rotation axis through said vertical journal, a sole holder for directly engaging the tip or heel of a ski boot when said ski boot is positioned on the upper sur face of the ski, a plurality of guide members pivotally connecting said sole holder to said housing, each of said guide members being pivotally connected at both the sole holder and the housing with the spacing of the articulating axes of the guide members at the sole holder being less than the spacing of the articulating axes of the guide members at the housing, and releasable spring-loaded locking means for normally maintaining the housing and sole holder in central positions corresponding to normal positioning of the ski boot on the ski surface, the locking means being displaceably guided in the housing for movement at right angles to the rotation axis of the housing for releasably securing said housing against rotation from its central position, each guide member having at least one control surface in operative engagement with a locking means surface of said locking means when said housing and guide members are in their central positions, said locking means surface facing away from the spring of the locking means, and wherein said control surfaces operatively engage said locking means surface to cause displacement of said locking means in response to pivotal movement of said guide members out of their central position such that, upon a predetermined movement of said guide members corresponding to a predetermined sideways movement of the sole holder, said locking means is displaced a sufficient distance to release said housing for free rotative movement.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said locking means comprise a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing and having a locking pin secured to and projecting axially from one end of said locking member, said journal having a transverse locking bore adapted to receive at least the free end of said locking pin for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press the same in the direction toward said guide members and also tending to press at least said end of said locking pin into said locking bore, a cam surface on each of said guide members near the ends thereof connected by one of first pivots to said housing, and a cam member on said locking member engaging under the action of said spring means upon said control surfaces of at least two of said guide members when said guide members and said sole holder are in said central position and tending to maintain said guide members and said sole holder in said central position, said control surface on a first of said guide members pressing against said cam member when said sole holder is shifted by said boot laterally from said normal position, said control surface thereby shifting said locking member in its axial direction away from said journal until said sole holder has been shifted for a predetermined distance and said control surface on said first arm has at the same time shifted said locking member so far that said locking pin disengages from said locking bore so that said housing together with said sole holder can then turn freely about said journal.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, in which said cam member is adjustable in its axial direction along said locking member so as to vary the depth to which said locking pin enters said locking bore when said guide members and said sole holder are in said normal central position.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said hous ing has an oblong shaped bore so as to permit said housing to turn about said journal and also to slide longitudinally relative thereto, said locking means comprising substantially flat surfaces on substantially opposite sides of an otherwise cylindrical part of said journal, said locking means comprising a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing, spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press one end thereof against one of said flat surfaces for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, said control surfaces including a cam surface on the end of each of said guide members engaging upon one of said flat surfaces of said journal.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, further comprising a plate interposed between said flat surfaces of said guide members and the associated flat surface of said journal for enlarging the effective size of said last surface, and means for guiding said plate on said housing.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting said housing to different heights from said mounting plate in which said adjusting means comprise a plurality of adjusting arms each. pivotably connected at one end to said mounting plate and at the other end to said housing and pivotable within a plane extending at a right angle to the plane of the lower surface of said mounting plate, and means for limiting the extent at least of the upward pivoting movements of said adjusting means.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, in which said last means comprise adjusting means acting upon at least one of said adjusting arms for varying the extent at least of the upward pivoting movement of said adjusting arms.

8. A device as defined in claim 6, in which said locking means comprise a locking projection on said housing normally engaging into a recess in one of said adjusting arms for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal.

9. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms extend substantially parallel to each other, wherein said journal has at least one annular groove, said locking means comprising locking surfaces in said groove, a locking member of said locking means longitudinally slidable within said housing and having an end portion adapted to engage into said groove, spring means acting upon said locking member normally tending to press said end portion into locking engagement with at least one of said locking surfaces so as normally to prevent said housing from turning about said journal, each of said guide members having a locking surface near a first end thereof normally also engaging into said groove and abutting against at least one of said locking surfaces in said groove for normally maintaining said arms and said sole holder in the normal central position.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein two guide members are provided that are pivotable ,within a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski, one of said guide members having a different effective length than the other guide member so that the predetermined distance which said sole holder may be shifted by said boot from its normal central position without releasing the locking means is longer in one lateral direction than it is in the other lateral direction.

l l. A safety ski binding comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ski, an element rotatably mounted on said base so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis extending vertically to the upper surface of said ski and including a housing and a sole holder adapted to engage upon the sole of a ski boot, substantially parallel arms pivotably connecting said sole holder to said element for permitting said sole holder under the action of a lateral force exerted by said boot to be shifted laterally for a predetermined distance from a normal position relative to said ski, and at least two operatively associated locking means adapted to engage with said arms and with said base for holding said sole holder and said arms in said normal position and at a certain distance from said ski surface and, when said sole holder is shifted laterally for said predetermined distance by said boot, to release said sole holder from said base so as to be freely rotatable about said vertical axis, said base carrying a journal projecting upwardly therefrom, said housing having a longitudinal axis normally extending substantially parallel to said ski surface and also having a bore extending transverse to said longitudinal axis, said bore having an opening at the lower side of said housing and containing at least the upper part of said journal for mounting said housing on said journal so as to be rotatable thereon about said vertical axis, said arms projecting from an open longitudinal end of said housing and at both sides thereof and pivotably connected near one end by first pivots to said housing and near the other end by second pivots to said sole holder so as to permit said sole holder to be shifted by said boot for a predetermined distance in lateral directions from a normal substantially central position and substantially parallel to said ski surface, said bore having an oblong shape so as to permit said housing to turn about said journal and also to slide longitudinally relative thereto, said arms consisting of two superimposed pairs of substantially parallel arms, said first and second pivots consisting of universal joints, said locking means comprising a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing and spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press one end thereof against one side of said journal, said journal having a locking recess substantially diametrically opposite to said side upon which said end of said locking member engages, a locking pin secured to said housing and engaging into said locking recess for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, a plate mounted in said housing and having inclined recesses in one side thereof, and projections on the point parts of said arms which are connected to the associated joint parts of said housing, said projections having end surfaces which are inclined to the planes of said arms and engage with said inclined recesses in said plate.

12. A ski binding as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for adjusting said plate within said housing to different heights from said ski surface in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said journal.

13. A tip or heel holding device for use in a safety ski binding arrangement, said device comprising: journal means, journal mounting means for mounting said journal means on an upper surface of a ski at a fixed position along a longitudinally extending ski axis, housing means, housing mounting means mounting said housing means on said journal means for rotatable movement about a vertically extending journal axis and for axial movement with respect to said journal means along said ski axis, releasable locking means for rotatably locking said housing means to said journal means, sole holder means for directly engaging the tip or heel of a ski boot at a position on said ski spaced from the housing means, guide means pivotally connecting said sole holder means to said housing means, control means operatively positioned between said guide means and said journal means for moving said housing means and associated sole holder means in the longitudinal direction with respect to said journal axis toward said ski boot in response to pivotal movement of said guide means resulting from movement of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, and lock releasing means for releasing said locking means after a predetermined movement of said sole holder means thereby permitting a relative rotation of said housing means and journal means and consequent release of the holding device from the ski boot.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein said housing mounting means includes an opening in said housing which surrounds a portion of said journal means, said opening being larger than the associated portion of said journal means.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said opening is an oblong slot having a greater dimension in the direction of said ski axis, and wherein said portion of said journal means is constructed as a vertically extending cylindrical portion.

16. A device according to claim 13, wherein said guide means include at least two substantially parallel arms, each of said arms being pivotally connected near one end by first pivots to said housing means and being pivotally connected near the other end by second pivots to said sole holder means.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein an even number of arms are provided which are arranged symmetrically at opposite sides of the ski axis when said sole holder means is in a normal central position on said ski.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein four arms are provided, two of said arms being disposed in a first horizontal plane at opposite sides of said ski axis, the other two of said four arms being disposed in a second horizontal plane at opposite sides of said ski axis, and wherein each of said first and second pivots are constructed as universal joints for permitting pivotal movement of said arms in both horizontal and vertical planes.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said arm camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein said housing camming surface means is a cam plate supported in said housing means for relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said cam plate being abuttingly engaged with a vertically extending surface of said journal means.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein spring means are mounted in said housing for resiliently biasing said housing in a direction facing away from said sole holder means. I

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking pin fixedly mounted in said housing and extending toward said journal means, said journal means having a horizontally extending locking recess for engaging with said locking pin to rotatably lock said journal means and housing to one another.

24. A device according to claim 16, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said arm camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means.

25. A device according to claim 24, wherein said housing camming surface means is a cam plate supported in said housing means for relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said cam plate being abuttingly engaged with a vertically extending surface of said journal means.

26. A device according to claim 25, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.

27. A device according to claim 26, wherein spring means are mounted in said housing for resiliently biasing said housing in a direction facing away from said sole holder means.

28. A device according to claim 27, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking pin fixedly mounted in said housing and extending toward said journal means, said journal means having a horizontally extending locking recess for engaging with said locking pin to rotatably lock said journal means and housing to one another.

29. A device according to claim 28, wherein said housing mounting means includes an opening in said housing which surrounds a portion of said journal means, said opening being larger than the associated portion of said journal means.

30. A device according to claim 24, wherein said housing camming surface means includes a bushing interposed between said housing means and said journal means.

31. A device according to claim 30, wherein two arms are provided, and further comprising means for permitting pivotal movement of said arms in only a horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the ski.

32. A device according to claim 30, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking plate attached to the underside of said housing means, said locking plate having a locking projection which engages into an aperture in the wall of said bushing when said sole holder is in the central position and which disengages upon a predetermined movement of said sole holder.

33. A device according to claim 16, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.

34. A device according to claim 16, wherein two arms are provided, and further comprising means for permitting pivotal movement of said armsin only a horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the ski.

35. A device according to claim 34, wherein the means limiting movement of said arms in only a horizontal plane include constructed said first and second pivots as vertically extending pivot pins.

36. A device according to claim 34, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said am camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means, and wherein said housing camming surface means is a vertically disposed flat plate extending perpendicular to the ski axis and said arm camming surfaces are flat vertically extending surfaces at the one end of said arms, said flat plate being in abutting engagement with a corresponding flat surface of said journal means.

37. A device according to claim 13, wherein vertical adjusting means are provided for vertically adjusting the height of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, said adjusting means including pin and spring means interengageable between said housing means and said journal means.

38. A device according to claim 13, wherein vertical adjusting means are provided for vertically adjusting the height of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, said adjusting means including pivotable adjusting arms attached to said journal means and to a base means to be attached to the upper surface of the ski and adjusting screw means operatively engaging said adjusting arms.

39. A device according to claim 13, wherein said guide means includes an even number of arm members, half of said arm members being arranged at each side of the ski axis, said arm members being pivotally connected near one end by first pivots to said housing means and being pivotally connected near the other ends by second pivots to said sole holder means, the arm members at one side of the ski axis having a dif ferent effective length than the arm members on the other side so that the predetermined movement which said sole holder may be shifted prior to release of the locking means in one lateral direction is greater than in the other lateral direction. 

1. A tip or heel holding device for use in a safety ski binding arrangement; said device comprising: a mounting plate for attaching the device to an upper surface of a ski, a vertical journal disposed on the mounting plate, a housing mounted for rotational movement about a vertical rotation axis through said vertical journal, a sole holder for directly engaging the tip or heel of a ski boot when said ski boot is positioned on the upper surface of the ski, a plurality of guide members pivotally connecting said sole holder to said housing, each of said guide members being pivotally connected at both the sole holder and the housing with the spacing of the articulating axes of the guide members at the sole holder being less than the spacing of the articulating axes of the guide members at the housing, and releasable spring-loaded locking means for normally maintaining the housing and sole holder in central positions corresponding to normal positioning of the ski boot on the ski surface, the locking means being displaceably guided in the housing for movement at right angles to the rotation axis of the housing for releasably securing said housing against rotation from its central position, each guide member having at least one control surface in operative engagement with a locking means surface of said locking means when said housing and guide members are in their central positions, said locking means surface facing away from the spring of the locking means, and wherein said control surfaces operatively engage said locking means surface to cause displacement of said locking means in response to pivotal movement of said guide members out of their central position such that, upon a predetermined movement of said guide members corresponding to a predetermined sideways movement of the sole holder, said locking means is displaced a sufficient distance to release said housing for free rotative movement.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said locking means comprise a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing and having a locking pin secured to and projecting axially from one end of said locking member, said journal having a transverse locking bore adapted to receive at least the free end of said locking pin for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press the same in the direction toward said guide members and also tending to press at least said end of said locking pin into said locking bore, a cam surface on each of said guide members near the ends thereof connected by one of first pivots to said housing, and a cam member on said locking member engaging under the action of said spring means upon said control surfaces of at least two of said guide members when said guide members and said sole holder are in said central position and tending to maintain said guide members and said sole holder in said central position, said control surface on a first of said guide members pressing against said cam member when said sole holder is shifted by said boot laterally from said normal position, said control surface thereby shifting said locking member in its axial direction away from said journal until said sole holder has been shifted for a predetermined distance and said control surface on said first arm has at the same time shifted said locking membeR so far that said locking pin disengages from said locking bore so that said housing together with said sole holder can then turn freely about said journal.
 3. A device as defined in claim 2, in which said cam member is adjustable in its axial direction along said locking member so as to vary the depth to which said locking pin enters said locking bore when said guide members and said sole holder are in said normal central position.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said housing has an oblong shaped bore so as to permit said housing to turn about said journal and also to slide longitudinally relative thereto, said locking means comprising substantially flat surfaces on substantially opposite sides of an otherwise cylindrical part of said journal, said locking means comprising a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing, spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press one end thereof against one of said flat surfaces for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, said control surfaces including a cam surface on the end of each of said guide members engaging upon one of said flat surfaces of said journal.
 5. A device as defined in claim 4, further comprising a plate interposed between said flat surfaces of said guide members and the associated flat surface of said journal for enlarging the effective size of said last surface, and means for guiding said plate on said housing.
 6. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting said housing to different heights from said mounting plate in which said adjusting means comprise a plurality of adjusting arms each pivotably connected at one end to said mounting plate and at the other end to said housing and pivotable within a plane extending at a right angle to the plane of the lower surface of said mounting plate, and means for limiting the extent at least of the upward pivoting movements of said adjusting means.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6, in which said last means comprise adjusting means acting upon at least one of said adjusting arms for varying the extent at least of the upward pivoting movement of said adjusting arms.
 8. A device as defined in claim 6, in which said locking means comprise a locking projection on said housing normally engaging into a recess in one of said adjusting arms for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal.
 9. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms extend substantially parallel to each other, wherein said journal has at least one annular groove, said locking means comprising locking surfaces in said groove, a locking member of said locking means longitudinally slidable within said housing and having an end portion adapted to engage into said groove, spring means acting upon said locking member normally tending to press said end portion into locking engagement with at least one of said locking surfaces so as normally to prevent said housing from turning about said journal, each of said guide members having a locking surface near a first end thereof normally also engaging into said groove and abutting against at least one of said locking surfaces in said groove for normally maintaining said arms and said sole holder in the normal central position.
 10. A device according to claim 1, wherein two guide members are provided that are pivotable within a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski, one of said guide members having a different effective length than the other guide member so that the predetermined distance which said sole holder may be shifted by said boot from its normal central position without releasing the locking means is longer in one lateral direction than it is in the other lateral direction.
 11. A safety ski binding comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ski, an element rotatably mounted on said base so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis extending vertically to the upper surface of said ski And including a housing and a sole holder adapted to engage upon the sole of a ski boot, substantially parallel arms pivotably connecting said sole holder to said element for permitting said sole holder under the action of a lateral force exerted by said boot to be shifted laterally for a predetermined distance from a normal position relative to said ski, and at least two operatively associated locking means adapted to engage with said arms and with said base for holding said sole holder and said arms in said normal position and at a certain distance from said ski surface and, when said sole holder is shifted laterally for said predetermined distance by said boot, to release said sole holder from said base so as to be freely rotatable about said vertical axis, said base carrying a journal projecting upwardly therefrom, said housing having a longitudinal axis normally extending substantially parallel to said ski surface and also having a bore extending transverse to said longitudinal axis, said bore having an opening at the lower side of said housing and containing at least the upper part of said journal for mounting said housing on said journal so as to be rotatable thereon about said vertical axis, said arms projecting from an open longitudinal end of said housing and at both sides thereof and pivotably connected near one end by first pivots to said housing and near the other end by second pivots to said sole holder so as to permit said sole holder to be shifted by said boot for a predetermined distance in lateral directions from a normal substantially central position and substantially parallel to said ski surface, said bore having an oblong shape so as to permit said housing to turn about said journal and also to slide longitudinally relative thereto, said arms consisting of two superimposed pairs of substantially parallel arms, said first and second pivots consisting of universal joints, said locking means comprising a locking member longitudinally slidable within said housing and spring means acting upon said locking member and tending to press one end thereof against one side of said journal, said journal having a locking recess substantially diametrically opposite to said side upon which said end of said locking member engages, a locking pin secured to said housing and engaging into said locking recess for normally preventing said housing from turning about said journal, a plate mounted in said housing and having inclined recesses in one side thereof, and projections on the point parts of said arms which are connected to the associated joint parts of said housing, said projections having end surfaces which are inclined to the planes of said arms and engage with said inclined recesses in said plate.
 12. A ski binding as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for adjusting said plate within said housing to different heights from said ski surface in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said journal.
 13. A tip or heel holding device for use in a safety ski binding arrangement, said device comprising: journal means, journal mounting means for mounting said journal means on an upper surface of a ski at a fixed position along a longitudinally extending ski axis, housing means, housing mounting means mounting said housing means on said journal means for rotatable movement about a vertically extending journal axis and for axial movement with respect to said journal means along said ski axis, releasable locking means for rotatably locking said housing means to said journal means, sole holder means for directly engaging the tip or heel of a ski boot at a position on said ski spaced from the housing means, guide means pivotally connecting said sole holder means to said housing means, control means operatively positioned between said guide means and said journal means for moving said housing means and associated sole holder means in the longitudinal direction with respect to said journal axis toward said ski boot in response to pivotal movement of said guide meAns resulting from movement of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, and lock releasing means for releasing said locking means after a predetermined movement of said sole holder means thereby permitting a relative rotation of said housing means and journal means and consequent release of the holding device from the ski boot.
 14. A device according to claim 13, wherein said housing mounting means includes an opening in said housing which surrounds a portion of said journal means, said opening being larger than the associated portion of said journal means.
 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said opening is an oblong slot having a greater dimension in the direction of said ski axis, and wherein said portion of said journal means is constructed as a vertically extending cylindrical portion.
 16. A device according to claim 13, wherein said guide means include at least two substantially parallel arms, each of said arms being pivotally connected near one end by first pivots to said housing means and being pivotally connected near the other end by second pivots to said sole holder means.
 17. A device according to claim 16, wherein an even number of arms are provided which are arranged symmetrically at opposite sides of the ski axis when said sole holder means is in a normal central position on said ski.
 18. A device according to claim 17, wherein four arms are provided, two of said arms being disposed in a first horizontal plane at opposite sides of said ski axis, the other two of said four arms being disposed in a second horizontal plane at opposite sides of said ski axis, and wherein each of said first and second pivots are constructed as universal joints for permitting pivotal movement of said arms in both horizontal and vertical planes.
 19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said arm camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means.
 20. A device according to claim 19, wherein said housing camming surface means is a cam plate supported in said housing means for relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said cam plate being abuttingly engaged with a vertically extending surface of said journal means.
 21. A device according to claim 20, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.
 22. A device according to claim 21, wherein spring means are mounted in said housing for resiliently biasing said housing in a direction facing away from said sole holder means.
 23. A device according to claim 22, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking pin fixedly mounted in said housing and extending toward said journal means, said journal means having a horizontally extending locking recess for engaging with said locking pin to rotatably lock said journal means and housing to one another.
 24. A device according to claim 16, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said arm camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means.
 25. A device according to claim 24, wherein said housing camming surface means is a cam plate supported in said housing means for relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said cam plate being abuttingly engaged with a vertically extending surface of said journal means.
 26. A device according to claim 25, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.
 27. A device according to claim 26, wherein spring means are mounted in said housing for resiliently biasing said housing in a direction facing away from said sole holder means.
 28. A device according to claim 27, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking pin fixedly mounted in said housing and extending toward said journal means, said journal means having a horizontally extending locking recess for engaging with said locking pin to rotatably lock said journal means and housing to one another.
 29. A device according to claim 28, wherein said housing mounting means includes an opening in said housing which surrounds a portion of said journal means, said opening being larger than the associated portion of said journal means.
 30. A device according to claim 24, wherein said housing camming surface means includes a bushing interposed between said housing means and said journal means.
 31. A device according to claim 30, wherein two arms are provided, and further comprising means for permitting pivotal movement of said arms in only a horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the ski.
 32. A device according to claim 30, wherein said releasable locking means includes a locking plate attached to the underside of said housing means, said locking plate having a locking projection which engages into an aperture in the wall of said bushing when said sole holder is in the central position and which disengages upon a predetermined movement of said sole holder.
 33. A device according to claim 16, wherein said vertically extending surface faces in the direction toward said sole holder means.
 34. A device according to claim 16, wherein two arms are provided, and further comprising means for permitting pivotal movement of said arms in only a horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the ski.
 35. A device according to claim 34, wherein the means limiting movement of said arms in only a horizontal plane include constructed said first and second pivots as vertically extending pivot pins.
 36. A device according to claim 34, wherein said control means includes: arm camming surfaces at said one end of each of said arms, and housing camming surface means at a relatively fixed axial position along said ski axis, said arm camming surfaces cammingly contacting said housing camming surface means during pivotal movement of said arms to effect the longitudinal movement of said housing means, and wherein said housing camming surface means is a vertically disposed flat plate extending perpendicular to the ski axis and said arm camming surfaces are flat vertically extending surfaces at the one end of said arms, said flat plate being in abutting engagement with a corresponding flat surface of said journal means.
 37. A device according to claim 13, wherein vertical adjusting means are provided for vertically adjusting the height of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, said adjusting means including pin and spring means interengageable between said housing means and said journal means.
 38. A device according to claim 13, wherein vertical adjusting means are provided for vertically adjusting the height of said sole holder means with respect to said upper surface, said adjusting means including pivotable adjusting arms attached to said journal means and to a base means to be attached to the upper surface of the ski and adjusting screw means operatively engaging said adjusting arms.
 39. A device according to claim 13, wherein said guide means includes an even number of arm members, half of said arm members being arranged at each side of the ski axis, said arm members being pivotally connected near one end by first pivots to said housing means and being pivotally connected near the other ends by second pivots to said sole holder means, the arm members at one side of the ski axis having a different effective length than the arm members on the other side so that the predetermined movement which said sole holder may be shifted prior to release of the locking means in one lateral direction is greateR than in the other lateral direction. 